BIMA partners with Robi to hold community health event in Bangladesh to drive financial and healthcare inclusion

BIMA’s local operations in Bangladesh, MILVIK Bangladesh, held a community health event in Dhaka with its mobile operator partner Robi to educate the public on the value of health and insurance products.

Visitors were able to consult with general and specialist doctors at 10 health camps and received free medical tests. As well as an education drive, the initiative showcased “My Health Family Pack”, a unique, bundled product from Robi and MILVIK combining unlimited access to tele-doctor consultations with hospitalisation insurance, giving customers protection against both financial and health risks.

The event activities also included a claims ceremony where more than two dozen of beneficiaries of the healthcare plan were presented with their claim cheques, further highlighting the financial protection provided by insurance.

Thanks to MILVIK’s mobile technology, Robi customers can sign up for the digital health product via their mobiles and daily micro-premiums will be deducted automatically from their prepaid airtime credit. Just BDT 60 (US$0.7) per month, entitles customers up to a maximum of US$706 of life and US$235 of hospitalization cover as well as telephone access to doctors located in BIMA call centres – both for themselves and for family members. The hospitalisation insurance is underwritten by Protective Islami Life Insurance Limited.

Speaking about the event, Akira Morita, Country Manager of MILVIK Bangladesh, commented: “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to bring financial and healthcare education to the local population in Dhaka. Accessing quality healthcare can often prove challenging for many, and if people are forced to spend nights at hospitals due to worsening health conditions, they may have to deal with the financial stress of unexpected medical costs in addition to coping with ill health. Today’s event has allowed us to promote the value of insurance as a financial buffer as well as to raise awareness of affordable health and insurance services that can really help people safeguard their health as well as their financial future.”

Robi’s General Manager, Voice and VAS, Rizwana Rashid Auni, added: “Insurance uptake in Bangladesh has traditionally been the lowest in South Asia, leaving people at risk of significant financial challenges in the event of illness or accidents. Through this community engagement, Robi and its partner, MILVIK Bangladesh, attempt to highlight the importance of having a financial safety net and introduce the Robi MyHealth package which offers customers low-cost and easy-to-use digital healthcare services. We plan to continue this community engagement initiative in the future.”